Six-Month Weight Loss Followup

If you are a regular reader of my blog (or my Facebook page), you are aware that I began a serious weight loss journey this past January. My goal was to get down from my initial weight of just around 180 pounds to the 148 pounds that I weighed for a number of years after my kids were born, and possibly even down to the 138 pounds that I weighed throughout my 30s. As of April, I had reached the 148-pound mark and was working on figuring out a maintenance diet plan, and possibly continuing to lose a few more pounds, with the aim of getting down to 138 pounds. 

I've now spent about 3 months on my maintenance/"creep down" diet plan, and I'm pleased to say that my weight has, indeed, continued to slowly creep down. My current weight is 141 pounds, and I'm confident that over the next few months, I'll be able to reach my secondary goal of 138 pounds - and, more importantly, maintain that weight for the long term. 

I think that the most important parts of my maintenance plan are that I've continued to write down everything I eat, and that I still record my weight daily. Both of those steps help me to see my overall eating pattern and quickly notice if either my weight or my eating choices are falling back into unhealthy territory. My weight did jump up a few pounds right away when I began a "maintenance" diet, but because of my tracking, I was able to revise my habits very quickly, and continue a slow but (generally) steady downward trend. 

It's nice to know that this trend can withstand a few days of overindulgence (the recent bump up was the result of a family wedding and multiple related celebrations, during which I allowed myself alcohol, rich foods, and desserts that I would otherwise have skipped). It would be easy to be frustrated by those minor upticks, but because I can see my long-term pattern, I know that a few added pounds can be quickly counteracted with discipline and determination. 

My continued rewards are still improved health on multiple fronts, increased physical stamina, and simply looking and feeling better in general. And that is the best motivation of all!